The process of getting home internet installed can vary significantly based on your location and specific circumstances, as outlined by utilities expert Fernando Mendes.
In urban areas, you might expect installation within 2-3 days, and in some cases, such as in Lisbon, it might be possible to have it installed on the same day. For rural areas, the timeline might extend to no more than a week under normal conditions.
It’s also possible to set an installation date in advance. For example, if you’re moving to Portugal on December 10th, you could arrange your internet a few weeks before and request it be installed on December 11th or 12th.
Generally speaking, it’s a good idea not to have the internet installed on the day you arrive, in case you’re delayed or simply too tired to deal with a technician.
How Likely Are Delays?
Generally speaking, you shouldn’t expect delays, however, it does happen from time to time, for example if the technician discovers that the connection box, which serves the area, has no more slots available. This problem usually only happens if the internet service provider (ISP) hasn’t kept good records of which slots are free or taken, but, thankfully, this doesn’t happen often.
In practice, this means it could take an additional 1-2 weeks for the ISP to upgrade the box.